Ferrari’s most storied line of road cars began with the vehicle shown here, chassis number 0503 GT. It is the patriarch of a series with many V-12-engined variants, including the fabled 250 GTO (see “A Toast to the 250 GTO,” page 138). The elegant Pinin Farina design—built in aluminum by Scaglietti—defined the shape of things to come.

Through 1959, Ferrari built a total of 84 examples of the 250 GT in four series-production body styles. Like the rest of the early cars, this one features a long wheelbase, and the absence of louvers on the sail panel identifies it as a member of the initial body-style series.

After this car posted first-in-class finishes at the Giro di Sicilia and the Mille Miglia in 1956, another car in the line won the Tour de France Automobile later that year, earning the model its unofficial moniker of “TdF.”